Interchangeable support for electric fixtures



Patented `iuly 29, 19245,

HARRISON D. MCFADDIN, OE EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

INTERCHANGEABLE SUPPORT FOR 'ELECTRIC FIXTURES.

Application led March 7, 1921. Serial No. 459,186.

To all-whom t may concer/n.'

Be it known that I, HARRISON D. Molino DIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Orange,in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Interchangeable Support for Electric Fixtures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has to do with supportsk for electrical fixtures and more particularly lighting fixtures. l

The practice has been vinaugurated and it is rapidly increasing in popularity for tenants to 'own electrical fixtures, which'they install in houses and apartments upon taking possession of the house or apartment or` by the tenant from place to place. As isv well known, however, there has been no standard of fixture supports which willpermit of ready attachment and detachment of a fixture without necessitating the employment of electrical skill and it is accordingly usually the practice in installing or removing such fixtures to enlist the services of skilled workmen for this purpose. Landlords might similarly transfery fixtures from one place or location to another or substitute new for old fixtures.k

lVith the foregoing considerations in mind, the object of the present invention is to provide a combined fixture support and electrical connection, which will be interchangeable in every respect. That is to say, `a support which maybe installed in an apartment which is not specially equipped for such installation, as well as an apartment which is so equipped. vMoreover, the structure is so simple from a mechanical standpoint that, in either instance referred to, it can bevreadily installed by a layman, thereby dispensing with the necessity of calling in skilled electricians.

Practically every outlet box now on the market embodies a permanent fixture stud, 'which is threaded to receive a fixture through the intermediary of` a coupling upon the fixture stud, while the fixture stem screws into the opposite end of the hickey. The sides of the hickey are cut away so that thewires from the lamps pass through the sides of the hickey Vand cut into the house wiring within the outlet box. Y

In carrying out the present invention in one illustrative form, I interpose between the hickey and the fixture stud a metallic post adapted to screw upon the latter and carrying an insulating member provided with concentric contacts and on the hickey I mount complementary concentric contacts, so that when the hickey is screwed upon the post associated with the fixture stud, the contacts of the hickey will automatically be brought into engagement with the contacts of the post. The contacts of the post are wired to the house wiring within the outlet box and the contacts on the hickey form the terminals of the wires of the fixture.

If a tenant, having fixtures embodying the presentrinvention, moves into a house or apartment, wherein the outlet boxes have associated therewith a metallic post and concentric contacts constructed in accordance with this-invention, it willonly be necessary to screw the hickeys of his fixtures on the posts of the respective outlet boxes in order to install the fixtures, and this operation may manifestly be carried out without the requirement of any mechanical or electrical skill' whatsoever. v However, if the tenant moves into a house Vor apartment wherein the metallic posts and concentric contacts are not associated with the outlet boxes, he need only remove the contacts from the hickey, screw the hickey upon the fixture stud, and connect the wires of the fixture to the house wiring'within the outlet box in the usual manner. It will thus be noted that the device is interchangeable and a fixture io constituted may be installed in any outlet Features of the invention, other than those adverted to, will be Vapparent. from the hereinafter detailed description and claims, when read in conjunction, with the accompanying drawings.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one practical' embodiment of the invention, Abut the constructionY therein shown is to be understood as illustrative, only, and not as defining the llimits of the invention. y

Figure 1 is a central section of an outlet box and fixture, showing the present invenllO CFI

ber of the connection.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a conventional form of outlet box, shown as mounted above the ceiling line 2 in any suitable manner well known in the art. The house wiring consistsof the wires 3 and 4 and leads into the outlet box through the usual conduit 5. Permanently fixed in the center of the base of the outlet box is the usual fixture stud 6 secured to the box by screws 7. The structure thus far described is that of a conventional installation well known in the art and forms no part of the present invention.

y The conventional form of fixture, as shown in the drawings, embodies a fixture stem 8, the upper end of which threads into a hickey 9. The upper end of the hickey is tapped at l0 and is'adapted to screw on to the threadedstem of the fixture stud 6. The fixture stem is usually enclosed within a casing tubev or pipe 11, over which a canopy 12 is passedand this canopy 12 is adapted to be pushed up against the ceiling and secured in place by a set screw 13. rlhe fixture. elements described are also well known and likewise form no part of the present invention.

In applying the preferred form of the present inventionto the foregoing conventional installation, three distinct elements are. employed, namely, a post 14, a female connection 15 and amale connection 16. The post 14 is preferably. of metal, is provided with a threaded portion 17 at one end, a tapped hole 18 at the other end7 and a polygonal, preferably hexagonal portion 19, surrounding the tapped hole. The tapped hole and threaded portions of the post are of suoli size and are so threaded that the tapped hole is adapted to receive the fixture stud, while the tapped hole 10 of the hickey may receive the threaded portion 17 of the post, so that when these parts are assembled, the weight of the fixture will be carried on metallic connections and will be imposed directly upon the outlet box without subject` ing the electrical connectionsV yassociated with the fixture or outlet boxvto any strain whatsoever. n

The female member 15, which forms vpart of the electrical connections is in the form of a cylindrical insulating member, shown in underneath plan view in Figure 3. rllhis insulating member is provided with concentrie grooves or channels 2O and 21, in which are positioned metallic rings 22 and 23, re-

spectively. As shown in Figure 8, these rings extend entirely about the grooves 20 and 21 and are firmly secured therein. Threaded into the back of the insulating member 15 are two binding screws 24 and 25, with which the rings 22 and 23 are respectively electrically connected, after the manner shown best in Figure 1. These binding screws are adapted to form terminals for the wires 3 and 4 of the house wiring, so that when such wires are secured in place by the screws, the concentric metallic rings 22 and 23 will be included in the house wiring circuit.

The central portion of the female insulat- C.

ing member is cut away, a portion of. the thickness of said member being in the form of a tapering or frusto conical passage and t-he remainder of the thickness of said member being in the form of a hexagonally shaped hole, so that the female member may be slipped over the post 14 to bring the frusto conical shaped portion vof its central opening into a position to embrace a correspondingly shaped portion of the post, while the hexagonal portion 19 of the post will enter the hexagonal portion of the central hole in said member. A am nut 26 may be then ,screwed upon the threaded portion 17 of the post 14 and will serve to firmly hold the female member against removal from the post while the cooperating hexagonal shaped portions of the post and female member will preclude rotation between the parts.

rlhe male member of the electrical -connections may be conveniently constructed of a block of insulation 16 provided through the center thereof with a hexagonally shaped passage. l form the upper portion 9il of the hickey of like shape and thereby adapt the block 16 to fit over the hexagonal upper portion of the hickey, after the manner clearly shown in Figure 4. Set screws 27 are tapped in from the opposite sides of the insulating block 1G and into the hickey to hold the insulating block of the male member firmly in positionon the hickey.

rlfhe block is provided with two binding screws 28 and 29, which not only serve as terminals for. the fixture wires 3a and 4, but also serve to secure two flexible tongues or prongs 22a and 23 to the block. These tongues or prongs project above the top of the block and are of a resilient or springy character. In carrying out the present invention, they perform the function of brushesin that they are adapted to cooperate with the channels 2O and 21 and make contact with the metal rings 22 and 23. To this end, the tongues 22a and 23a and the rings 22 and 23, respectively, are positioned at corresponding radial distances from the axis of the fixture, so that when the hickey 9 is screwed .upon the post 14, this operation will ECO Gi U

automatically insert the prongs in the channels 20 and 21 and assure proper electrical contact between the tongues and the rings 22 and 23.

If desired, I may provide rings at either side of each channel to assure a more efficient electrical contact, but, in practice, this is unnecessary, since a single ring will give entirely satisfactory results when engaged by a resilient prong or tongue as shown.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that if a tenant, owning fixtures embodying the present invention moves into a house or apartment equipped with outlet boxes having electrical connections and female member of the character shown in Figure 1, all that is required to attach and electrically connect the fixtures is to merely screw the fixtures on the threaded portion 17 of the post 14 and the installation is complete. On the other hand, if the outlet box construction and electrical connections are as shown in Figure 1, and the tenants fixtures are of the conventional type without the male connection, it is a simple matter and Aone requiring no mechanical skill whatsoever to purchase and apply to the fixtures the male connections shown.

However, if the apartment is merely provided with the conventional outlet boxes and fixture studs, and the tenants fixtures embody the male members, the tenant may either purchase and apply the threaded post and female member to the fixture stud, or may remove the male member from` the hickeys of his fixtures and connect the fixture directly to the fixture stud of the outlet box in the usual manner, by screwing the hickey on the fixture stud and splicing the wires 3a and la to the wires 3 and 4 of the house wiring.

It will thus appear that the fixture support of the present invention is truly interchangeable siiice it provides a construction wherein any type of fixture may be associated with every installation. It is furthermore obvious that if the installations in the house or apartment are as shown in Figure 1, the putting up or taking down of the fixtures requires absolutely no skill, since the mere screwing of the fixture in place will cause it to partake of the position shown in Figure 2, wherein the weight of the fixture will be properly supported on the outlet box, while the electrical connections will be properly established;

In practically carrying out the present invention, I prefer to employ concentric or coaxial prongs and rings, although, if desired, the channels 2O and 21 may be dispensed with and the rings 22 and '23 may be placed concentrically on the fiat lower surface of the female member. In which event, the prongs 222L and 23a instead of being formed of upstanding configurad tion as shown, would partake of the forni of fiat leaf springs which would automatically come into engagement with the rings Y when the fixture is screwed on the post 14E.

1. A separable outlet for electrical fixtures embodying a threaded supporting member adapted to be screwed on toy the fixture stud of an outlet box, an insulating element carried on and supported by the supporting member, amiular contact rings carried by said insulating element and coaxial with the supporting member, in combination with a fixture adapted to be screwed on to `the supporting member, an insulating element carried by said fixture and contracts mounted on and carried by the second mentioned insulating element and spaced at substantially the same distance from the axis of the fixture as the annular contacts are spaced from the axis of the supporting member, whereby the fixture may be screwed on to the supporting member to bring the corresponding contacts of the fixture insulating element into cooperative relation with the contacts of the insulating element of the supporting member.

2. A separable outlet for electrical fixtures embodying a threaded fixture stud adapted to be rigidly associated with an outlet box, a supporting member having a threaded socket screwed on to the fixture stud and a. threaded shank, a fixture provided with a threaded socket adapted to screw on to the threaded shank of the supporting member for the purpose of mounting the fixture on the supporting member, an insulating element carried on and supported by the supporting member, a second insulating element carried on and supported by the fixture, a plurality of concentrically arranged contacts associated with the insulating element of the supporting member and a plurality of juxtaposed concentrically arranged contacts associated with the insulating element of the fixture, whereby the screwing of the fixture on to the supporting member will automatically bring the corresponding contacts into engagement with one another.

3. A separable outlet for electrical fixtures embodying a threaded supporting member adapted to be screwed on to the fixture stud off an outlet box and provided with a threaded shank, kan insulating element positioned coaxiallyof the supporting member, a nut screwed on to the threaded shank to maintain' thi; insmating'kr `element' in postom a` fix-'ture h'ving al` thAe-a'ded portion' adaptd to screw on to thek slgnk of the Su'ppotlng mmbel', an" inulatg' ele- 5 ment spporlted on and carried by the flX- ture, u plurality Of coaia'l alular' contact; Carried by Qu nulaijhg element @mel zip'lralty' of' correspondingly disposed' lois'les ezirrerd' By the', other -in'sxi'latingj member and adapted. to automatically'engage W-pl thel 10 cofn'tct ring' when the fixture' is screwed upon the shank Qa the supportngmgmbe'rl 11i testimony Wle'r'eof,l have Signed my name to this sp'ecealn.

HRRSN D. MieAD-BI". 

